Bernstein Violins

A Frank Discussion About Teacher Kickbacks

Before moving deeper into the subject matter of this article, I wish to first express my profound gratitude for those teachers who trust me to do the very best for their students. Purchasing a bowed instrument is not easy, as there are many critical acoustic and structural elements that are challenging to discern without experience, and there is little value in comparing brand names and models in the way that one would do today with most purchases. It is always my intention to match the player up with what is best for their sensibilities and budget. And to those of you who recognize how much I care about my customers, thank you!

The subject of teacher kickbacks is not the most romantic side of the bowed instrument business. Most people assume that their instrumental teacher is an advocate for their best interests, someone who can be counted on for guidance when searching for, and purchasing a bowed instrument. But this is not always the case.

Some will try to justify the practice by saying that the teacher deserves to be compensated for their time. Teachers who help a student with the process of purchasing a bowed instrument should of course be compensated fairly for their time, but that payment should come directly from the student or family that is the beneficiary of their time, not indirectly in a covert manner.

Calling a kickback a “commission” does not change the illegal or unethical nature of the kickback. A commission is something paid to someone who does sales in a particular industry, that being the profession of their choice. Teachers are in the business of teaching, not instrument sales. In Colorado where my shop is located, undisclosed kickbacks are actually illegal, and when kickbacks are paid to teachers, it is rarely disclosed. Teacher kickbacks are generally around 10% of the selling price, and can be as high as 30%. This of course drives up the selling price of the instruments.

If a teacher is sending a student to a particular shop, and they are receiving a kickback from that shop, there is no way that teacher can be considered a neutral advocate. There are teachers in my area who routinely send the families of their students to out-of-state shops, this without even letting them know that there are better prices, better service, and superior quality to be found locally. I encourage anyone who is shopping for a bowed instrument to visit the local, ethical shops first. If you can’t find what you want locally, then my request would be that you go to an out-of-state shop with a written no-kickback policy. Those of us who have taken a stand on this have it posted on our websites. Also, be aware that even some prominent mail-order catalogue companies pay teachers commissions on instrument sales.

Many times I have had university performance majors in my shop who are completely confused because their professor is advocating that they buy an instrument that is not the best for them. I have seen students no longer trusting their own judgment due to bad advice, and some who acknowledge that they suspect that the professor is taking a kickback, but they are afraid to go against his/her wishes due to the power that they hold over the student. And these are usually $10,000 to $30,000 instruments, so there is a lot at stake.

Many people who find my shop after having purchased elsewhere, will often ask me why their teacher did not send them here first. My response is always, "that is a good question, and perhaps you might want to ask them."

Thank you for taking the time to read about this somewhat uncomfortable topic, one that many of us in the bowed instrument business would like to see discussed more openly.

At your service, Reed Raphael Bernstein.